Find me if you can - English translation
by Mindell
Summary: Adrien rejoiced. He finally had the opportunity to discover who hid behind Ladybug's secret identity. And the best part was, he could do it honestly. All thanks to a little game between them, a simple game which he had initiated without any real expectations. / Translated from french by Chuiskkat


_Original story : Mindell, "Trouve-moi si tu peux" (available in french)_

 _Translation : Chuiskkat_

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 _Note :_

 _I wanted to say the biggest THANK YOU to Chuiskkat, who did this translation :D ! THANK YOU SO MUCH ! I'm so happy and you really did an awesome job !_

 _If you liked this fic, please do not forget to thank Chuiskkat for the translation :)_

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Marinette chewed on her pencil, lost in thought. She might as well think about it, and think about it she did, still wondering how she could have let herself get involved in such a game.

She couldn't remember how all of this had started.

For several weeks now, she and Chat Noir had been regularly exchanging little clues about their private lives, at random during their conversations. Giving a little hint here, another there, trusting each other to be attentive enough to pick up on it.

It was, of course, Chat Noir's idea, typical for him. Had he taken advantage of the time when Ladybug had inadvertently let slip a bit of personal information to do the same thing? Or had he planned the whole thing from the start, and then succeeded at piquing her interest enough to get her to join the game? She didn't know anymore.

The rules were created as the game went on. Each of the heroes was free to give whatever clues they wanted, however they wanted. However, no lying, and absolutely no asking questions. Neither of them were obligated to share information at each encounter, but in the interest of the game it was better not to let too much time pass without giving their teammate something to think about.

Whatever the case may have been, it was a bad idea, Marinette was certain.

Because of course, the goal of this little treasure hunt was to see which of the two of them would manage to be the first one to discover the identity of the other. Oh, they had to be subtle. To not give too big of a hint so that it wasn't too easy for their opponent, to be as evasive as possible, to resist the temptation to play with fire by confessing something too compromising…

A bad idea. A very, very, very bad idea.

Her mind as good as shouted at her that it was childish, that she had nothing to gain, but Marinette knew that it was already too late. Whether or not she found out Chat Noir's identity, she had already lost. Lost because Chat Noir would inevitably have what he wanted, the satisfaction that at least one of them would reveal their identity to the other. And lost because she couldn't give up. Now that she had been sucked in, she couldn't see herself backing out. Her curiosity took over, as well as her pride.

She wanted to win.

She wanted to know.

She began to reflect again. She had already gleaned some information, collecting the clues her partner left little by little.

He was in middle school, just like her. He was a good student, very good according to his claims. In that respect, she didn't know if she could completely trust him. One of the rules was not to lie, but Chat Noir sometimes had the tendency to stretch the truth, so she was never sure. He read a lot but preferred video games, he had an aversion to baked carrots, he loved tomatoes, he played a sport but had carefully avoided telling her which one…

Marinette let out a long sigh.

What an idea…

* * *

Adrien rejoiced.

His life had become terribly exciting these last few weeks. Not that it hadn't already taken an interesting turn when he had taken on the identity of Chat Noir, hero of Paris, but now… Now he finally had the opportunity to discover who hid behind Ladybug's secret identity.

And the best part was, he could do it honestly.

It was a game, a simple game which he had initiated without any real expectations.

She had protested quite a bit at the start, arguing that it was childish, that there were more important things to say or do rather than waste their time with this type of childish behavior. But Chat Noir could be convincing when he wanted to be, and he had succeeded at changing Ladybug's mind, showing her some aspects of his private life and luring her in with the possibility of learning more.

And the curiosity of his Lady had cut to the quick, he had seen it right away.

Whatever she said, she too wanted to know who hid under her partner's mask. After months and months of fighting side by side, of putting their lives in the hands of their teammate, they both needed answers.

In a corner of his mind, he saved everything that he had learned about his Lady, happily thinking over all the little things he could have never even imagined discovering about her.

She was the same age as him. She was half Chinese, although he didn't know if it was on her father's side or her mother's. However, she didn't speak any Chinese, which severely complicated family reunions. The day he learned that, he almost admitted that he, on the other hand, had no problem understanding this language, but he had eventually changed his mind. Instead, he told her that he liked video games, by chance winning another clue, in an involuntary fashion, when she let slip "Oh? Me too."

His Lady lowered her guard, and if she wasn't careful, he would soon discover who hid behind her mask.

This involuntary confession gave him an idea.

An idea which he thought was, in all modesty, brilliant.

He wasn't allowed to ask his teammate direct questions, but he had to be able to guess some information by observing her behavior. He had to carefully select which clues he would choose to reveal, with the unique goal of seeing how Ladybug would react to what he said. Maybe she would accidentally give him another clue.

He was perfectly aware that it wasn't exactly fair-play, but it wasn't exactly cheating either. She took a lot of care to give no more than a single hint each encounter, and as things were not advancing fast enough for his liking, Adrien was enjoying gathering as much information as possible. Even if it meant taking a more complicated route.

Adrien had thought about it a lot and he had begun to devise a plan of attack. Given the number of teenagers in Paris, it was necessary to proceed by elimination, that he limit his field of search as much as possible.

He had decided not to focus on his partner's Asian origins, because according to genetic chance, it was completely possible that her ethnic mix was not as visible as he could imagine. She had black hair and eyes shaped like almonds, but he couldn't exactly stop every young girl with those characteristics and ask them if one of their parents was Chinese.

No, he wouldn't concentrate on her physique, not for the moment.

Instead, his strategy was to start by doing a geographic search. He needed to try to discover which neighborhood she lived in, or even better, what middle or high school she went to. He was almost positive that Ladybug didn't go to his middle school, even though he couldn't totally eliminate that possibility. But he held the belief that if Ladybug attended classes in the same building as he did, he definitely would have noticed her. She was so radiant, so charismatic, and she gave off this aura- it was impossible that he could have stood next to her every day without detecting it.

He thought about the clue that he would give her next time. He could complain about a class, giving the teacher's name? By studying Ladybug's reaction he could maybe guess whether or not the name was familiar to her.

Oh, he couldn't wait…

* * *

Several weeks passed, but Adrien didn't make any significant progress in his search. He had finally decided not to mention one of his teachers. The idea was certainly appealing, but it said a lot about him too. He had decided that the risk was too much for the moment, he didn't want to give Ladybug too many chances.

He continued to use his strategy, adapting his words according to the reaction he hoped to get from his partner, but he began to wonder if Ladybug saw right through what he was doing. She was no longer accidentally giving him clues like she had already done before, and her smile was almost mocking when Chat Noir attentively watched her behavior, all while she gave a carefully prepared hint.

"I won't let you win this stupid little game, kitten," she insisted with a little wink.

"A stupid game that you're playing too, my Lady," her partner impishly called back.

Adrien walked down the school hallways, trying to think. He hadn't learned anything major these last few days.

Ladybug liked pink, she babysat sometimes, she had a diary… nothing conclusive.

The mention of her diary had all the same made him daydream. Did she write about him from time to time? He felt his neck blush lightly as he imagined his Lady writing several words about him in the pages of her notebook.

Adrien was so absorbed by his thoughts he didn't notice a cardboard box sitting in the hallway. Stumbling inside, he almost fell flat on his face, only escaping the fall thanks to the strong grip of someone who grabbed him by the arm at the last second.

He turned around and saw Marinette's eyes dancing with laughter.

"Um, sorry," he apologized, nervously placing his hand behind his head. "I was in the middle of thinking and… but thank you, you saved me from a hard fall," he continued, grateful.

"You're welcome. And you're okay, that's the important thing," she replied with a big smile before walking away with a small wave.

Adrien looked at her for a moment, confused. He suddenly had the unpleasant impression that an extremely important idea had just crossed his mind, before disappearing without him being able to grab onto it. The more that he concentrated, the more he felt it slip away from him, dissolving little by little into the void.

He started walking again, all the while absolutely certain that he had just missed something priceless.

He sighed. With a little luck, that little idea would come back to visit him later.

* * *

Days passed, and Adrien still had no idea who his teammate could be. His investigation hadn't moved an inch, he knew that. And she knew it too, he was sure. He was restless, desperately trying to assemble the pieces of the puzzle while also fooling Ladybug.

It was one of his huge faults, he couldn't help being a smart aleck or bragging at every opportunity, but he was certain that his Lady was not fooled. The more he insisted it wouldn't be long before he knew who hid behind her mask, the more his partner's mischievous smile seemed to grow.

He didn't know if she was laughing at him or if she was smiling simply because she was as lost as he was. She continued to show an unfailing serenity, which was almost provocative for the poor Chat Noir who clearly wondered if he was not playing himself at his own game.

He had wanted to try to outsmart her, but his little game was making him crazy.

Then, from time to time, his Lady burst out in tinkling laughter, affectionately ruffling his hair, all while telling him not to overwork his brain. This simple gesture instantly raised Chat Noir's moral, immediately filling him with motivation and reassuring him that even if this enigma still stumped him, their next encounter would finally give him the eureka moment he needed.

"Next time," he said to himself with a small smile. "Next time, I will find out who you are."

The start of the following week didn't leave Adrien a lot of time to ponder or reflect or develop his strategies. Between school, extra classes, tests, and photo shoots, he didn't have a minute to himself. He did nothing but eat, sleep, go from one activity to another, and repeat.

He was exhausted.

To top it all off, he had gym class now, and Adrien wanted just one thing: to curl into a ball in the corner and sleep. Plus, he had never liked volleyball. Internally smiling, he absent-mindedly considered sharing this with Ladybug the next time he saw her. But unless his Lady was secretly a volleyball champion, he definitely wouldn't get any good information out of her.

That being said, although it was true that never knowing who Ladybug was had frustrated him to no end, it didn't detract from Adrien's appreciation for each little clue he learned about her. Even the most insignificant, like the fact that she never went to the hairdresser because her mother cut her hair, or even that she couldn't crack an egg without getting at least a tiny bit of shell in the dish.

Little by little, he was discovering unexpected new aspects of his Lady and this simple fact made his heart jump with joy. Before, he thought of her as strong, courageous, inventive, amazing… Now, he had discovered she was also compassionate, clumsy, and incredibly adorable. He got the impression that he was seeing more and more the girl behind the hero and he felt himself falling more deeply in love day by day.

A volleyball whistled through the air, abruptly bringing Adrien back to reality.

This wasn't the time to daydream, or this damn sport was going to kill him. The score was tightening up and he saw his friend Kim giving all he could, refusing to give up even a single point. The reason for his relentlessness couldn't have been more simple: it was one of his endless athletic challenges against Alix. On the other side, Alix felt the same duty to lead her team to victory.

Suddenly, she sent the ball back straight toward Adrien. He positioned himself, preparing to return the shot… before being thrown directly into the pole by a violent force. Kim, completely absorbed by the path of the ball, hadn't paid attention to his classmate and had crashed into him with an extraordinary force when he himself tried to hit Alix's shot.

Winded, Adrien took a few seconds to get his wits about him. He sat back down, all while carefully feeling his shoulder, which had hit the pole with full force. His friends had made a circle around him, looking at him with concern, and Kim apologized profusely.

Marinette knelt down by his side, under Chloé's angry gaze.

"Are you okay?" she asked Adrien, her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you badly hurt?"

"No, I'm okay," he responded in a reassuring tone. "Look, I'm good as new," he couldn't help but joke as he made large circles with his arm, to show that his shoulder was really okay.

Marinette rolled her eyes gently, before letting out a small laugh. She stood back up then put out a hand to help him.

"Lucky." she replied with smile. "But all the same, you're going to join the bench for the end of the game," she continued, gently pushing him toward the sideline.

Adrien was relieved, thrilled at the idea of letting the end of the class fly by while he relaxed peacefully.

* * *

A few hours later, when the school day came to an end, a scream tore through the air.

Hawkmoth had struck again.

Adrien threw himself into an empty room before transforming into Chat Noir. When he arrived on site, Ladybug was already there, darting through the air with the help of her yoyo, gracefully evading her opponent's attacks. Chat Noir's heart, already beating fast from the adrenaline, raced a bit faster.

Truly, this girl was extraordinary.

In an instant, he was at her side, ready to fight alongside her to reestablish order in the streets of Paris. The confrontation was brief, the duo showing impressive efficacy. Their enemy was defeated with an honorable total of ten throws of the yoyo, six superb dodges, one invocation of a red rake with black polka dots, approximately four puns, and three baton strikes.

Overall, it had been done quite masterfully.

At the end of the fighting, the two heroes found themselves on top of a roof. Ladybug let her eyes run over the city, clearly proud of what they had just accomplished. Struck dumb with admiration, Chat Noir couldn't take his eyes off her.

He jumped when she turned towards him, coughing to try to put up a front.

"Are you okay?" she worried, leaning toward him. It wasn't like her partner to stay silent for this long.

His throat suddenly dry, Chat Noir coughed again. She was so close, her eyes were so blue…

"Uhhh… yea, yes, I'm okay. I was just thinking…"

He was interrupted by the beep from Ladybug's earrings. Her miraculous was signaling her that it was time for her to go, at the same time depriving Chat Noir of an opportunity to discuss more with her. He sighed gently. Really, today was not his day.

Noticing his disappointment, his partner gave him a reassuring tap on the shoulder, smiling kindly at him.

"Come on, kitty, don't make that face… We'll meet again soon."

"I know, I know, my Lady."

Then, he took a deep breath before giving her a big smile. He wasn't going to ruin Ladybug's departure by sulking.

"At any rate, we did a good job today," he boasted, striking a victorious pose. "You saw how I avoided the trash can?"

Without hesitation, Ladybug burst into laughter, and Chat Noir felt his moral skyrocket.

"Oh yes, I definitely saw that," she laughed loudly at her partner's buffoonery.

Then, calming down, she moved closer to him. To Chat Noir's surprise, she suddenly leaned toward him in order to leave a light kiss on his cheek before moving away just as quickly.

Speechless, Chat Noir lifted his fingers to where Ladybug's lips had touched his skin. He suddenly felt like his skin was on fire.

Not seeming to notice anything, Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air, the wire wrapping itself around a chimney. She tugged on it lightly to be sure of its grip, then turned one last time toward Chat Noir.

"And you did well," she added in a mischievous tone. "It would have been a shame to hurt your shoulder twice in the same day."

She gave him an impish little wink before soaring far away.

Chat Noir watched her move away, speechless as he struggled to understand what she just said.

His shoulder.

Ladybug had been there when he had banged his shoulder in gym.

It only took a fraction of a second to finally put the puzzle pieces together. Shocked, he let himself fall to the ground, before suddenly bursting into laughter.

Victory for his Lady.

* * *

The next morning, Adrien arrived at school well before the start of class. He headed toward his classroom, with the feeling that he would not be the first to get there.

And he was right.

His Lady was already there.

Marinette.

She too came early. Sitting at her desk, she was scribbling absent-mindedly in her sketchbook. She lifted her head when she heard Adren open the door, a small, mischievous smile dancing on her lips. While he moved closer, she looked him right in the eyes, staring at him with an unusual self-confidence.

Adrien sat in his seat and turned toward her, crossing his arms on her desk.

"My Lady," he greeted her.

"Chat," she replied with a little smile.

Adrien sighed overdramatically.

"Well, it seems like I lost. So tell me, how did you…"

Wait a minute.

He was about to ask her how she had managed to figure out who Chat Noir was, but he suddenly realized something. Normally, Marinette was rather nervous when she was near him, but now that he thought about it, he didn't remember hearing her stammer recently. He couldn't recall since when exactly, but lately Marinette's behavior had changed subtly.

"Wait, how long did you know?" he asked her, his eyes wide open in surprise from his discovery.

"Oh, for a little while," she responded with another little smile.

There was no longer any trace of shyness in Marinette's voice. Au contraire, she spoke with confidence and her resemblance to Ladybug was so striking that Adrien now wondered how he hadn't seen it earlier, even without all the clues. He might be a good superhero, but he was definitely the worst of detectives. Fortunately for him, the residents of Paris did not expect him to lead investigations, because with his capacity for deduction he wouldn't get very far.

"But then why? Why didn't you say anything sooner?" he asked, leaning toward her, watching her with curiosity.

"I really couldn't decide whether or not to tell you right away. But what do you know, you're so cute when you rack your brain," she smirked.

Adrien felt himself blush.

"That's my reply, my Lady," he murmured.

She laughed lightly at him, but it was fair game. He somewhat deserved it, after all these times where he had loudly insisted that he would win their little game hands down and that he would surely be capable of recognizing her at first glance.

He took a new look at Marinette.

Her immense blue eyes sparkled with joy and mischief, and her cheeks were tinted a delicate red. He had no idea what she could have thought when she had realized who he was, but now she was visibly delighted with him.

Adrien's heart beat quickly in his chest, and little by little he felt a wave of heat engulfing him. He realized suddenly that he couldn't take his eyes off Marinette's lips. And he almost had a heart attack when he realized that not only was she perfectly aware of this, but that it didn't seem to bother her, quite the opposite.

"Now, the game is over," she said in a low voice.

Adrien leaned toward her with a huge smile, lightly brushing his trembling fingers over her cheek. Marinette shuddered at the contact, blushing even more.

"Don't worry, my Lady," he managed to murmur in a husky voice. "I have other ideas to keep us busy."

Marinette's radiant smile in reply to his innuendo was exactly the response he was hoping for.

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*** END ***

 _(or almost ^^ . There is a sequel : "Kiss me if you can", available on my account too)_

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 _Once again, thank you Chuiskkat for your amazing translation !_

 _Mindell_


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